New Delhi: As the nation is gearing up to celebrate 75 years of Independence next month, Farmers, Workers, and Agricultural Workers’ organizations have again joined hands to hold joint demonstrations on their issues pre and post-Independence day. The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), and All India Agricultural Workers Union (AIAWU) today announced to conduct a joint countrywide campaign and joint actions against the policies of the Modi government.
While the trade unions have been opposing new labor codes and demanding the scrapping of all four labor codes brought in to replace the existing 29 labor laws, Farmers' groups are alleging the government of deceiving them by not bringing law on MSP despite assurances. The other issues like price rise of essential commodities, unemployment, GST on food items, inflation, etc are also on the agenda which will be highlighted during the 15-day long joint movement which starts on the 1st of August.
Under the present Modi regime, the conditions of the workers, peasants, agricultural workers, artisans, and all sections of toiling people have been continuously deteriorating. Prices of all essential commodities including agricultural inputs have increased. The real wages of the workers have come down. Agriculture has become unviable for the farmers, particularly for the poor farmers. Workdays in rural areas have declined. Agricultural income got drastically declined to call a total bluff on the much-touted promise of the Modi Govt to double their income,” said Hanan Mollah, General Secretary All India Kisan Sabha while addressing the media in New Delhi today.
“While the demand for MGNREGA work has increased, the government has reduced allocations for the scheme. Wages for work done are pending for several months in almost all the states. Unemployment has reached alarming levels. Lakhs of micro, small and medium enterprises have closed resulting in the loss of crores of jobs. Despite all the concessions and incentives announced by the Modi government, no new employment generating investment is forthcoming in the private sector,” he added.
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The Farmer's group especially those who protested for almost a year demanding the repeal of three farm laws and a law mandating the purchase of farmers’ produce on MSP are angered over the government not showing any inclination to bring a law guaranteeing MSP. They have already boycotted the committee formed by the government saying most of the members in the committee are Modi government loyalists. Also, the terms of reference of the committee were turned down by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a conglomerate of more than 250 farmers' organizations from across the country.
“Though the Modi government had to repeal the three anti-farmer Farm Laws under compulsion, it has not taken any concrete measures to implement its assurances related to the legally guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for all crops and other issues. Contrary to its assurance it is pursuing its plan to introduce the Electricity Amendment Bill to privatize electricity," said Mollah.
"It is going ahead with its plans to implement the labour codes. It continues with its privatization spree, now in a new avatar – the National Asset Monetisation Pipeline and establishment of the National Land Monetisation Corporation,” Mollah added.
Centre for Indian Trade Unions, a joint platform of central trade unions has been supporting the farmer's movement and organizing joint protests on workers’ issues for the last two years. Now, the three major unions will be mobilizing strength from their respective sectors to counter ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ the campaign launched by the Modi government to celebrate 75 years of independence.
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“CITU, AIKS, and AIAWU decided to conduct joint campaigns and action programs to develop a strong countrywide resistance against neo-liberal policies as well as communal divisive agenda of the RSS-guided Modi-led BJP government. The joint campaign will focus on the major common demands of workers, peasants, and agricultural workers, including curtailment of price rise, employment, health for all, and housing," said Tapan Sen, General Secretary of CITU.
Apart from these, free education, Minimum Wage, MSP, and assured government procurement, loan waiver for small farmers, stopping privatization including the National Monetisation Pipeline, and scrapping of labor codes will also be focused on. The campaign will call upon all sections of people to uphold their unity and emphatically defeat the communal divisive forces of all hues and colors,” he added.
CITU, AIKS, and AIAWU will jointly conduct a fortnight-long campaign from 1st August 2022 on the above demands reaching out to workers, peasants, and agricultural workers up to the grass root level, in the remote corners of the country. Through the distribution of leaflets, meetings, and other forms they will highlight the role of the workers, peasants, and other sections of the toiling people in our Independence struggle and their vision for Independent India.
“Through our campaign, we will also expose the servile attitude of the RSS and its betrayal of our people’s struggle against British colonialism. This campaign will culminate in massive joint mobilizations and vigil programs at district headquarters on 14th August evening and hoisting of the national flag on the occasion of 75th anniversary of country’s independence,” said Tapan Sen.
The three organizations will mobilize people and conduct demonstrations at district headquarters on 8th August 2022 to commemorate the ‘Quit India’ Day
As a follow-up to this campaign, CITU, AIKS, and AIAWU will conduct a joint national convention at Talkatora Stadium in the national capital Delhi on 5th September to chalk out the future campaign and action programs.
